Cruise giant orders more ships as industry booms

The cruise industry is an unstoppable force.

No matter how many crises it confronts, the simple truth is that a lot of people are happy to spend good money to be at sea on huge ships.

MSC Cruises, one of the industry heavyweights, this week announced a firm order for two new ‘World Class’ series ships.

This will take the number of MSC ships in the class to six.

The new vessels are currently being referred to as World Class 5 and 6 prior to being named and are expected to be delivered for service in 2029 and 2030.

The pair will be built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard outside Nantes in Frabce and will be powered by alternative fuel sources including LNG, travel portal Travel Mole reports.

The 6,700-guests ships will join MSC World Europa and MSC World America (above), which have already launched, and MSC World Asia and MSC World Atlantic, which will be delivered over the next two years.

“The confirmation for the two new World Class ships marks a new milestone and the continuation of our long-term industrial plan,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Cruises.

“The highly successful World Class platform combines the very best in environmental technology with the latest advancements in guest experiences.”

The new ships will also have shore power plug-in capability and advanced wastewater treatment systems.

Triple celebration for MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l’Atlantique this week marked significant milestones for three World Class ships in Saint-Nazaire, France.

The delivery of MSC World America (above), coincided with the coin ceremony - a traditional shipbuilding event - of MSC World Asia and the steel cutting for the newly named MSC World Atlantic.

The importance of the occasion meant attendees included Captain Gianluigi Aponte, founder and group chairman of MSC, and Chantiers de l’Atlantique GM Laurent Castaing.

MSC World America is the 23rd ship in the cruise line’s modern fleet and is set to be officially named on April 9 in the US at the company’s new MSC Miami Cruise Terminal, the largest in the world.

Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman, cruise division, MSC Group, said: “Today is a proud moment for all of us at MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l’Atlantique as we mark these major milestones in the development of our fleet.

"Our new flagship is a testament to our long-standing, innovative partnership spanning over 20 years, resulting in five ground-breaking prototypes and 19 ships.

"Together, we continue to push boundaries, combining cutting-edge design, the latest technologies, and a richness of experiences to set new standards in cruising and always striving to further improve the environmental performance of each ship. We look forward to raising the bar even higher with the upcoming MSC World Asia and MSC World Atlantic.”

A coin cermeony sees commemorative coins placed inside a ship as a sign of blessing during construction and to bring good fortune to the ship.

The third celebration was a steel cutting ceremony to officially start the construction of the line’s fourth World Class ship, MSC World Atlantic, due to enter service in 2027.

MSC World America's inaugural season from Miami starts on April 12.

She will sail alternating seven-night Eastern Caribbean itineraries to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, San Juan, Puerto Rico and MSC Cruises private island Ocean Cay and seven-night Western Caribbean voyages to Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico, Isla de Roatan, Honduras, and Ocean Cay.